Balinors son
by Mia Thomas
Summary: King Uther chose to pursue and kill his closest friend because he was a dragonlord but what will he do when his son comes to Camelot?


It had been two days of hard walking but as he climbed what he hoped would be the last hill he was greeted with the sight of a stunning white castle and stopped in awe. "Camelot." He muttered breaking into a wide grin, finally he made it.

He walked through the main gate of the castle, passing guards and townspeople noticing they were all heading to the courtyard. Curious he followed the stream of people and stopped when he arrived in the courtyard.

Two guards were escorting a thin defeated looking man to a raised platform in the middle of the courtyard and forced him to kneel down with his head on the block.

"Let this serve as a lesson to all: This man, Thomas James Collins is judged guilty of enchantments and magic in pursuant to the laws of Camelot. I Uther Pendragon have decreed that such practices are banned on penalty of death. I pride myself on being a fair and just king but when it comes to magic there is only one sentence I can pass.

He nodded to the executioner standing to the side of the chopping block. The executioner raised his axe as drums started a slow beat growing faster in anticipation. He closed his eyes not wanting to see this but he still heard the sickening sound of his head being separated from his neck.

He opened his eyes to see the king staring proudly at the crowd

"When I came to this land this kingdom was mired in chaos but with the peoples help magic was driven from the realm, so I declare a festival. To celebrate 20 years since the great dragon was captured and Camelot freed from the evil of sorcery. Let the celebrations begin!

"NO!" shouted someone from the crowd

Everyone shied away from an old woman who was crying with a finger pointed at the king

"You killed my son! There is evil in this land but it is not magic, it is you! " she cried

"SEIZE HER!" Uther shouted

The old woman gave out a cry of grief and grabbed her necklace and started to shout words foreign to him and she was gone in a wisp of wind

He looked down at the man who practiced sorcery with disgust as he was being led to the chopping block.

"Let this serve as a lesson to all: This man, Thomas James Collins is judged guilty of enchantments and magic in pursuant to the laws of Camelot. I Uther Pendragon have decreed that such practices are banned on penalty of death. I pride myself on being a fair and just king but when it comes to magic there is only one sentence I can pass.

He nodded to the executioner as a signal for him to end it.

He heard drums and then the sound of the axe severing his head from his body.

"When I came to this land this kingdom was mired in chaos but with the peoples help magic was driven from the realm, so I declare a festival. To celebrate 20 years since the great dragon was captured and Camelot freed from the evil of sorcery. Let the celebrations begin!

when looked down at the crowd with joy – one less sorcerer to plot Camelot's destruction he saw him. A young man with midnight black hair a scrawny build blue eyes and very prominent ears. It looked like… but it couldn't be. He was dead. It couldn't possibly be Balinor he would have to be in his mid fourties and this young man looked no older then 18, but he still looked exactly like his old friend did when he was 18.

He was shook from these thoughts when he heard an old woman scream

"NO!"

"You killed my son! There is evil in this land but it is not magic, it is you!"

"SEIZE HER!" He shouted to the guards

She grabbed something around her neck an muttered something and disappeared with a gust of wind

He stormed back into the castle somewhere he could think of this boy who looked exactly like a younger Balinor. Almost like a… a son?

Merlin shaken from the execution walked up to a guard and asked him if he knew where he could find the court physician and he pointed behind him to a plaque on the wall "_COURT PHYSICIAN"_

"Thanks." He said getting a grunt in response

He arrived at a door slightly open and knocked but nobody answered so he tried again and still nothing so he entered the room

"Gaius?"

He took the room in noticing potions brewing and herbs everywhere and saw a man on a second floor looking through a book which he assumed was Gaius

"Gaius?" he tried again clearing his throat

"Hmm?" he said turning around and snapping the support causing him to fall over the railing

Time stopped and he looked around franticly for anything to break his fall when he noticed a patients bed and willed it to go underneath Gaius. Time resumed its normal pace and he heard a crash as gaius landed on the bed.

"What did you just do!" he shouted

"Uh.. umm . I don't"

"Tell me!"

"I-I have no idea what happened!" he said growing scared, he had been here for less then a minute and he already messed up big time! His mother was going to kill him… Well if Uther didn't first.

"If anyone had seen that!" he said shocked

"Oh n-no that was, that was nothing to do wi-with me!"

"I know what it was! I just want to know where you learned how to do it!"

"Nowhere" he replied willing to do anything for him to keep his secret

"So how is it you know magic then?" clearly confused

"I don't!" starting to panic, he had seen just what happened to people with magic in this kingdom

"Where did you study? Answer me!" he shouted

"I-I don't I've never s-studied magic before or been taught-

"Are you lieing to me boy?" he whispered coming closer

"What do you want me to say?" sounding exasperated now

"The truth!"

"I was born like this, that's the truth!"

"That's impossible!" he looked at him suspiciously again "Who are you?"

"Oh, um I have this letter" slipping his pack off to grab it and handing it to him

He looked at the letter looked around the room "I've… I don't have my reading glasses"

"Oh. Well I'm Merlin" he said

"Hunith's son!" he said surprised but looked pleased

"Yes!" smiling in relief

"But you're not meant to be here until Wednesday" he said now confused

"It… Is Wednesday…" This was the man that was supposed to take care of him?

"Ah." Looking embarrassed "Right then, well you better put your bag in there" pointing to a room behind him

"And you won't… you're not going to say anything about… " he gestured to the broken balcony

"No." he said smiling "Although Merlin, I should say thank you."

Gaius sat at his desk reading the letter that Merlin had given to him written by Hunith. It explained that Merlin was born with magic and she didn't have anyone to turn to and bid him to take care of the boy. He also read that the boy's father was Balinor.

He sighed thinking over what he should do.

Making his decision he got up and walked towards the council chambers he figured the king and his friend would be

He knocked on the door and when he was told to enter he saw Uther sitting on his throne deep in thought

"Sire, is something troubling you?"

He looked up to see Gaius looking at him concerned

"Yes. No. I don't know… for a moment today I thought I saw Balinor but he looked so young."

"That is what I came to talk to you about , sire"

"What is it?"

"Well, it's about my ward sire. I believe he is the son of Balinor."

"His _son?_ How? When?"

"In Ealdor I believe."

"But we must arrest him then, then boy-

"Is of no threat sire, there are no dragons left for him to control, and even if there was he wouldn't know how to do it"

Uther nodded thinking it over

"What should I do?"

"That sire is up to you."

He began to think, and all he could remember about Balinor was the memories they had growing up, of him talking with him always helping him with his words and wisdom. Guilt overtook him when he thought of his son he left fatherless. A plan he knew none of the council would approve of started in his mind

"His name is Merlin by the way, sire"

Merlin was walking around town checking out all of the shops and stalls since gaius didn't have any work for him anymore and he hadn't found him a job yet when he walked on some knights picking on a servant

One knight with blonde hair whom he assumed was there leader was mocking the servant

"Wheres the target?" he said laughing at him

"There, sire " pointing to a target board

"Into the sun" he pointed out

"It's not that bright" he protested

"A bit like you then!" causing all the other knights to laugh

"I'll put the target on the other end, shall I sire?" sounding miserable

He nodded to the servant and the knight beside him said "Teach him a lesson!"

He laughed turning to them "This'll teach him"

As the servant picked up the target and carried it over to the other side the blond knight starting throwing knives at the target and caused the servant to look up in fright "Hey! Hang on!"

"Don't stop!" sounding annoyed

"Uh. Here?" he sounded positively terrified now

"I told you to keep moving! We want some moving target practice!"

He kept throwing knives at the target causing the servant to eventually fall at Merlins feet. The target board was wobbling and the servant bent to pick it back up but Merlin put his foot on it and said to the blond haired ass

"Hey come on, that's enough. You've had your fun my friend" He decided he might as well try and come off as pleasant

"Do I know you?"

"Uh… I'm Merlin" sticking out his hand

"So I don't know you" he said mockingly

He lowered his hand "No."

"Yet you called me… friend?"

"That was my mistake"

"Yes I think so" he said arrogantly

"I'd never have a friend who could be such an ass." His temper getting the better of him

He laughed "Or I one who could be so _stupid_" resting his hand on his sword "Tell me Merlin. Do you know how to walk on your knees?"

"No."

"Would you like me to help you?" still sounding like nothing could touch him

"I wouldn't if I were you" wanting nothing more than to teach this bully a lesson

"Why?" he laughed "What are _you_ going to do to _me?_"

He lunged out but the prat caught his arm effortlessly twisting it behind his back

The small crowd that gathered all gasped

"I could have you thrown in jail for that"

He laughed "Who do you think you are? The king?"

"No, I'm his son _Arthur_ " bringing Merlin to his knees

The throne room chambers opened admitting Lady Helen

"Lady Helen, thank you so much for coming to sing at our celebrations" Uther said

"The pleasure is all mine, my lord" giving him a bow

"How was your journey?" picking up her hand and kissing it

"Oh the time it took, sire"

"Well, its always worth the wait"

"oh it will be, I promise"

As Morgana engaged Lady Helen in a conversation he turned to Arthur "I heard a commoner attacked you today, what was his name?"

Arthur looked at his father _since when did he care about commoner's names "_Er, I forget. Melvin or Merlin I believe"

At the mention of the idiot his father's eyes grew wide "Merlin? You're sure?"

"Yes father why does it matter he's in jail now"

"Why did he strike you?" sounding annoyed

"He was protecting a servant I was using for moving target practice" he said sheepishly

Uther smiled inwardly that sounded like something Balinor would do, always helping people

"I see. Go and release the boy."

Arthur was shocked "What! But-But he attacked me!"

"Arthur!" he snapped "I said release him, and bring him here to me."

Arthur huffed in annoyance and stalked off to release the idiot

He reached the cell he was in and he sitting on the straw bed sleeping. Unlocking the door he walked over to him and kicked his leg to wake him

"Wake up" prodding him with his foot again

He jolted awake screaming, looking absolutely terrified as he took in who was waking him up. When he realised his fear turned into understanding

"What?"

Sighing in annoyance "You don't know what respect is do you? Anyways my father wants to speak to you"

"Your father? Why does he want to speak to you"

"I have no clue and its best not to keep him waiting"

He escorted him to his father and his father thanked him and told him to leave them alone. Thoroughly confused he turned and left wondering what his father was going to do to him

Merlin was getting scared expecting to be sentenced to death or some other strange form of punishment. Why else would he be in front of the king

"Hello Merlin welcome to Camelot."

The king wanted to welcome him to Camelot after trying to attack his son? What the hell was going on?

"Erm, thank you er sire"

"Tell me Merlin, do you know much about your father?" I asked the young boy with such a resemblance to Balinor it was almost hard to believe

The boy got a sad look in his eyes and replied "No I never knew him he left before I was born, my mother won't talk about him much. She says he didn't want to leave but he was forced to."

Guilty he told the boy "Yes I knew your father well"

Shocked Merlin asked "Y-you did? How? When? What was he like? What was his name?"

He smiled at his enthusiasm "Yes we grew up together. He was an honorable man who always helped people no matter there station or situation. His name was Balinor." He let this sink in before continuing "Which is what I want to talk about. He was a good friend and I owe him a lot. And I want to repay him by helping his son."

"H-how?"

"Well, I was thinking of adopting you into the royal house. You would be Prince Merlin, although Arthur would be King still."

The boy gasped in shock stepping back "M-me? A P-prince?"

"Yes" he said smiling "Well, what do you say?"

"Well. I mean. I-I don't know."

"It would mean a lot to me to have you part of my family. I know you didn't have a father growing up but I'm giving you chance to have one now."

The boy smiled "I would love that , sire"

"Excellent!" breaking into a huge smile "A servant will lead you to your rooms and we will commission a wardrobe for you before the feast. We will announce it then" putting his hand on his shoulder "And please call me father."

Merlin nodded and turned to leave "Goodnight. Father."


End file.
